


The Flame That Burns Bright

by BigBadLittleRed



Category: Criminal Minds, Grimm (TV)
Genre: Kidnapped Nick, M/M, Tortured Nick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-24
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-14 21:47:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3426716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BigBadLittleRed/pseuds/BigBadLittleRed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the trail of a woman who is responsible for many kills in the past few years, the BAU tracks down Adalind Schade to find a man that has been held captive by her for quite a while. He's aggressive, confused, and asking for a man named Monroe. This man holds the key to many secrets, some which the BAU aren't exactly unfamiliar with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Man In Chains

**Author's Note:**

> (A Criminal Minds/Grimm crossover! I've been debating on writing this for quite a while, I've been watching Criminal Minds longer than Grimm, but I've been watching it on Netflix and got this idea... Hope it turns out good!)

**Washington DC**

 

They surround the building with precision.

 

"Reid, Morgan, left, Blake, Rossi, right. JJ you're with me." Hotch says calmly as they approach the abandoned factory, guns at the ready. The front door slides open with ease, creaking slightly in protest. Hotchner leads, their steps are basically silent as they approach a doorway.

 

"Adalind Schade, FBI!" Aaron shouts, turning the corner.

 

He's shocked, frozen, the room is empty except for a single chair in the middle of the room. There's a man sitting in the chair, chains wrapped around his chest and ropes tying his ankles to the legs of the chair. His head is tilted forward, resting on his chest. Hotchner approaches, still observing his surroundings, not yet ready to let down his guard yet.

 

He kneels in front of the chair while holstering his gun, the man has a gag in his mouth and his clothes are bloody and torn. He's pale, eyes closed. Aaron reaches up and presses his fingers against his throat, he's warm, which is a good sign. There's a pulse beating beneath the skin, a little weaker than it should be.

 

"Call for a medic... He's alive." Hotch tells JJ, who nods as Hotchner begins trying to loosen his bonds.

 

Morgan comes in through the back door, Reid following behind him.

 

"Rossi shot her." The dark man informs them, holstering his gun.

 

"Who's this?" Reid asks, kneeling before the man in the chair and helping Hotch untie the ropes at his ankles.

 

"Probably her next kill, he's alive." Hotchner sighs.

 

-

 

"Can we talk to him? Is he conscious?" Morgan's asking the doctor in the hall, JJ at his side.

 

"He'll come around soon, he was sedated by whoever had him.. Concussion, we had to stitch up some cuts on his chest.. Looked like scalpel incisions." The man cringes, and JJ sighs.

 

"She's done worse, she wasn't finished with him.. But I can't imagine what he's been through." She murmurs, before there's a crash and a shout from the room the man is staying in.

 

Morgan hurries inside, finding the man standing over a nurse, who's sitting on the floor holding her face. He's in a white gown with white pants on, blue eyes wide and confused.

 

"Hey, it's all right... You're okay!" Morgan says calmly, hands out in a placating gesture. JJ hurries the nurse out.

 

The man's eyes scan him carefully, and he still looks wary. Then his eyes travel past Morgan, and his lips part with gritted teeth, like a silent snarl. He takes a step back, bowing his head and bending his knees like an animal getting ready to attack. He reaches back and his hand finds a weapon off the tool table without looking back.

 

"Put down the knife, man.." Morgan murmurs, stepping forward.

 

"Do you know where you are?" JJ asks, and the man vaults himself back, doing a backwards roll over the bed and crouching behind it. His eyes hold an agitated fear in them, Morgan looks back.

 

"JJ I think you remind him of Adalind." He says, and the man audibly whimpers. When Morgan looks over at the bed, he's set the knife on the bed and is leaning back against the wall with his eyes clenched shut, humming while pressing his hands over his ears.

 

Morgan approaches carefully, grabbing the knife first, letting JJ grab the tool table and wheel it out. He kneels next to the man, not wanting to touch him for fear of startling him.

 

"Can you tell me your name?" He questions softly, and he blinks his eyes open. There are dark circles under his eyes, red veins spindling over the whites. Then his eyes flicker downwards slightly, Morgan doesn't even have time to blink before the guy has his gun.

 

He stands up and steps back, hands up. The man scoots back against the farthest place away from Morgan, holding the gun in both hands as he points it at Morgan.

 

"Where's Monroe?" His voice is hoarse, strained, it shakes like his hands.

 

"Who's Monroe?" Morgan asks carefully, observing the way the man holds the gun.

 

"MONROE! WHERE'S MONROE?" He shouts, before letting one hand off the gun to rub at his temple with a wince. He lowers the gun a little, finds the safety immediately, and switches it on. He settles the gun in his lap, scrubbing his hands over his face.

 

"Give me the gun.." Morgan tells him quietly, stepping forward. The guy sets the gun in front of him, before kicking it, it slides towards Morgan, who picks it up.

 

He slowly moves out of the room, but the man doesn't move from his spot, face in his hands as he sits on the floor between the bed and the wall.

 

Morgan pulls out his phone as he shuts the door.

 

"How may I be of service?" Garcia answers cheerfully.

 

"Baby girl, can you look up any missing police officers in the past few months?" He asks.

 

"Sure can." She tells him, before hanging up.

 

"What happened?" JJ questions, and Morgan sighs as he pockets his cell.

 

"He got ahold of my gun for a minute." He explains quietly, and JJ's eyes widen.

 

"What?" She whispers.

 

"He grabbed it from me.. The way he was holding it.. He's had experience, he holds a gun like a cop... He found the safety, before giving it back to me.." He explains.

 

"So he doesn't want to hurt anyone?" She asks, Morgan shakes his head.

 

"He's just confused and scared I guess.. He finds comfort in guns protecting him.. He was asking for someone called Monroe..." He mutters.

 

"Do you think he was in there with Adalind?" JJ questions.

 

"No, no man named Monroe was ever tied to Adalind.." He shrugs.

 

"Maybe a friend? A brother? His partner?" She guesses.

 

"Maybe.." He sighs.

 


	2. Press Meet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JJ and Rossi talk to the public, they get the clues they need to start this case up properly.

"Working with the Washington PD, the FBI has caught Adalind Schade, we're doing an investigation at this moment." JJ says at the podium. Many reporters start talking, she points to one of them.

 

"Agent Jareau, what was Ms. Schade's intent in all these killings?" A man questions, she leans forward.

 

"We believe she was attempting to torture and extract information from her victims." She explains, pointing to another reporter.

 

"You found a man at the recent crime scene.. Is he still alive?" They ask.

 

"Yes, he is.. And that's why we're here.. This is our latest eyewitness and victim of Adalind.. We need to get in contact with his family." She tells them, holding up a picture of the man. Morgan had taken it, he was looking at the camera with a blank face. His hair tussled and a healing split in his lip, along with a cut on his cheek.

 

"Can't he tell you who he is?" Another calls.

 

"Adalind inflicted serious psychological trauma onto him, he hasn't been talking much.. He's been asking for someone called Monroe, so we're asking anyone.. If you know who this man is, please call this number. Thank you for your time." She nods, before walking off the stage.

 

-

 

"I just received a call from a Sean Renard.. He's Captain of the Portland PD, and says that the man we found is named Nicholas Burkhardt." Morgan says as he walks into the room. The group is sitting around a table at the station in Washington. Garcia is on the screen.

 

"Nicholas Burkhardt... Homicide Detective in Portland.." She tells them, staring at her screen.

 

"Sad story time, folks.. Lost his parents in a car accident when he was twelve, except it was then ruled a murder later on... Nick was attacked by the perpetrator at the home he shared with his fiancée at the time, he was arrested." She says, a picture pops up at the side of the screen. It's an older picture, his hair is a little shorter and he's shaved, but it's him.

 

"When was that, Garcia?" Hotchner questions.

 

"That was, three years ago... Right about the time his fiancée fell into a coma.." She sighs.

 

"A coma? That's bad luck.." Rossi murmurs.

 

"Even worse, she apparently woke up with memory of everyone but Nick... She could remember times she spent with him, but he was erased from her mind entirely... Like it happened with someone else." Garcia frowns.

 

"That's worse luck..." Morgan huffs.

 

"Does Nick have any connection with Adalind?" Hotch asks.

 

"Actually yes... Around four years ago.. He worked a case where someone was killing lawyers by injecting them with bee venom.." She makes a face.

 

"That's disgusting." A picture of a woman with puffed up skin appears on the screen.

 

"How was Adalind involved?" Reid presses.

 

"Right, oh.. Apparently she was one of the lawyers the perp was after.. Nick and his partner saved her life.." She whispers.

 

"Saved her life, and she kidnaps him in return..." Morgan sighs.

 

"Who's Monroe?" JJ asks.

 

"There was a case where there was a little girl gone missing... They wrongly accused a man named Edward Monroe for kidnapping her. He was released from custody.." She falls quiet for a moment.

 

"He was a suspect? That's it?" Reid hums.

 

"And then... Oh.. There was a cult of people called the Wesenrein that came in contact with Nick last year.." She explains, pictures pop up of a burning sigil in someone's front yard.

 

"Is that Nick's house?" Morgan inquires.

 

"No, Edward Monroe's... They were after him for being married to Nick." She explains quietly.

 

"They got together? How did that happen?"

 

"They're completely cute, you guys.. Look at this." A few more pictures pop up, one of a wedding where Nick's in sunglasses, holding Monroe's hand and they're both smiling brightly.  Nick is wearing a tux and Monroe is wearing a weird button up suit.

 

"Wesenrein..." Rossi murmurs.

 

"You know them?" Morgan asks.

 

"We're dealing with one of those cases.. The Wesenrein go after Wesen who break old Wesen law." Rossi explains.

 

"So what, these guys are Wesen?" Reid questions, they weren't exactly unfamiliar with the term.

 

"I have no idea.. You'll have to figure that our yourself, my lovelies.." Garcia shrugs, before bidding ado and hanging up.

 

-

 

"Hotch, the victim's husband is on the phone.." JJ calls, he takes it.

 

"This is SSA Hotchner of the FBI." He greets.

 

"Yes, I was told by my husband's Captain that you found Nick?" He asks, sounding nervous and hopeful.

 

"Nick Burkhardt, yes." Hotch nods.

 

"Thank God, he's been missing for four months and I've been going crazy.. Is... Is he okay?" He murmurs.

 

"Mr. Monroe, why don't you fly here and you can talk to him yourself?" Aaron smirks slightly as Monroe laughs.

 

"Yes, yes.. That's.. I will.. I'll be there soon, give me the address of the hospital.." He tells him.

 


	3. These Dark Memories Of Ours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monroe is reunited with Nick back at the Washington Police Department Station, they answer some questions

Morgan has been monitoring Nick at the station, he's the one he tolerates the most. Morgan is seated on the far side of the room near the door, Nick is pacing. He's not sure why, but he's pacing. He'd just gotten up and started pacing, Morgan was getting dizzy just watching him move back and forth across the room.

 

"You're gonna wear a hole in the floor." Apparently Nick didn't find that too funny, all he got from it was a temporary pause and a straight face before the pacing picked back up.

 

"Is it Monroe? You excited to see him?" He can see the shake of the head Nick gives him.

 

"Then what?" He mutters.

 

"Adalind... She took the keys.. The keys..." Nick brings up both hands and drags them through his hair and down his face.

 

"Keys? What keys?" Morgan asks, suddenly intrigued.

 

"What if she gave them to Viktor? That's six out of seven.." He's muttering to himself.

 

"What are you talking about?" Morgan knew his questions were pointless, it was like Nick registered his voice but almost always completely ignored his presence.

 

Suddenly the door opens, Morgan stands up. Nick looks up, spotting the older man standing in the door.

 

"Monroe!" He shouts, racing over and jump hugging him. His feet don't reach the ground from his hanging position, Monroe spins him around, hugging him tight.

 

"God, Nicky... I missed you so much." He buries his face in Nick's shoulder, closing his eyes.

 

"Monroe... I'm Agent Derek Morgan..." He explains, holding a hand out as Monroe sets Nick down.

 

"Nice to meet you, thank you so much for finding him.." He says with a smile.

 

"It's no problem, if it's all right I need some questions answered.. And maybe you could get something out of Nick too, because he won't respond to us." He tells the man, who frowns.

 

"Nicky, why won't you answer him?" He asks, dragging a hand through Nick's shaggy hair, but Nick just buries his face in Monroe's chest.

 

"He's been through a traumatic experience, it's understandable.. But we thought maybe you could coax him into talking a little more about what happened.." Morgan says, Monroe nods.

 

"Yeah, of course..." He leads Nick over to a chair at the meeting table and sits him down.

 

"Okay, now let's go over this from the beginning.. What happened the night Nick disappeared?" Morgan asks, sitting down across from them.

 

"I was at the store getting groceries..." Monroe places a hand on the back of Nick's neck, dark brown eyes getting a little lost in thought as he talks.

 

"Nick was at home.. He calls me up, I answer thinking he probably wants candy or chips.." Monroe gives a soft laugh, then frowns.

 

"But there was crashing and banging... Nick was yelling.. And he says to me 'Monroe, there's someone in the house.. You have to get home now!'.." He mutters.

 

"And I drop what I'm doing, running out of the store.. I'm still on the phone and I can hear crashing and fighting.. And then I hear Nick scream, and the phone hit the floor... And I remember so clearly... The sound of the phone clattering to the floor, and Nick's voice saying my name quietly.. So quietly..." He whispers.

 

Nick's staring down at the table, a solemn look on his face.

 

"Nick, do you remember what happened in the house that night?" Morgan asks quietly, Nick doesn't answer.

 

"Nicky, please.. Anything you can remember.." Monroe begs, Nick's hands curl together as they lift up and rest on the table.

 

"I don't..." Nick shakes his head, eyes squinted in obvious struggle of thought.

 

"Remember before I left... We were talking about a case you solved.. The murder spree..." Monroe hints, and Nick nods slowly.

 

"Upstairs.... I went to get a book from my desk..." He says quietly.

 

"That's good.." Morgan encourages.

 

"No.. I went to take a shower..." Nick says, before pinching the bridge of his nose.

 

"Nick, close your eyes." Nick does as he's told. 

 

"When Monroe left, what was the last thing you said to him?" Morgan questions, trying to jog his memory.

 

"The case... It was hard.. There were kids involved, I was upset.. Monroe said he'd get me Hot Cheetos from the store... I told him I loved him.." He says hesitantly, and Monroe nods in confirmation.

 

"Then what did you do?" Morgan asks.

 

"He left out the front door... I went back into the living room.." He mutters.

 

"Okay, what did you hear?"

 

"The TV, reality show... I turned it off.."

 

"What'd you do after that?" The agent asks.

 

"I heard a noise.. But I thought it was the raccoons." Morgan looks to Monroe, who's staring at Nick intently, but briefly glances at Morgan.

 

"We always have raccoons scrapping around our garbage." He elaborates.

 

"So I went upstairs... Took a shower.. Went into the bedroom, got dressed... But something was wrong.." Nick's eyebrows draw together, hunching over slightly.

 

"What do you mean?" He asks.

 

"Someone was walking in the hall.. Big footsteps." He whispers.

 

"What'd you do?"

 

"I thought it might be Monroe.. Maybe he forgot his wallet, his jacket... I open the door..." His voice trails off and he shakes his head.

 

"Who's at the door?" Morgan presses.

 

"I don't know... I get hit, fall back, I hit my head on something. I need my phone.." His fingers are twitching slightly.

 

"Where's your phone, Nick?" The agent murmurs.

 

"The dresser, I call Monroe... I should have called for back up, but I was scared.. Monroe is the first on speed dial, I needed him.." His voice wavers, and Morgan can see Monroe getting a little misty-eyed.

 

"I almost drop the phone when I get grabbed, he throws me into the wall near the door." Nick reaches up and tugs on his bangs a little, breathing slightly ragged.

 

"What does he look like, Nick?" Morgan asks.

 

"No, no... I don't... My head hurts, I can't see right... Monroe answers.. I try to keep calm, I'm supposed to be calm... But he tries to grab me again, when I pull away... I fall down the stairs.. Hit the door..." He brings up his other hand to wring through his hair, panting quietly.

 

"Can you see him Nick?"

 

"Monroe's talking to me, I can't.. I need him with me, he's not here... He won't make it in time..." Nick lets out the first sob and breaks down. Monroe tugs him into his arms, silent tears streaming down his own face.

 

"I'm here now.. I'm here.." He murmurs, kissing the top of Nick's head. Morgan stands, walking out and shutting the door.

 

"Get anything from them?" Hotch asks when he sees him walk out.

 

"Nick can't identify his abductor, hit his head a few times in the struggle." Morgan sighs, Hotch looks through the window where Monroe's cradling Nick's head to his chest.

 

"He's been through a lot.. I'm surprised you got that much out of him." The man mutters, and Morgan nods.

 

"Took a lot of prying, but he remembers a lot of the abduction... I wonder how much of the stuff that happened afterwards he remembers.." He says quietly.

 


	4. An Illusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A friend of Nick and Monroe's shows up and delivers some news that seems to soothe their frayed nerves.. But causes some serious worry about Nick's mental state.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Another installment! Wow, been a while I suppose.. I apologize.. My muse is an asshole.)

A woman arrives at the station about an hour later, looking a little nervous and altogether determined. Hotchner approaches her, she's looking around anxiously.

 

"May I help you?" He murmurs.

 

"I'm looking for Nick Burkhardt and Monroe?" She says, twisting her fingers in the hem of her blouse anxiously.

 

"How do you know them exactly?" Hotch asks.

 

"I'm a close friend of theirs.. Rosalee Calvert." The woman explains.

 

"I'll be right back... JJ, stay with Ms. Calvert." Hotchner says, his coworker staying behind to talk to her as he approaches the meeting room.

 

He knocks before opening the door.

 

"There's a Rosalee Calvert to see you.." Aaron tells them quietly, Nick basically throws himself over the table and pushes Hotch out of the way to run out.

 

"Nick, wait!" Monroe calls, racing out behind him. Hotchner walks out and looks just in time to see Nick almost topple Rosalee over in a hug.

 

Rosalee wraps her arms around Nick's neck, combing her hands through his hair. Then Nick leans back, lets her go, and his mouth opens to an endless stream of talking.

 

"Rosalee, I'm so sorry.. I lost the keys, she took them and I didn't know what to do... She's going to give them to Viktor.. They'll have the map soon, and it's all my fault!" He explains in a hurry, Rosalee places her hands on his arms and murmurs something to him. Monroe walks up behind him and rests a hand on his shoulder.

 

Hotch walks up behind them as Rosalee talks quietly.

 

"Nick, you didn't have the keys.. You gave them to me for safekeeping remember?" She whispers.

 

"No, no... She had them.. She said that she had you.. I saw you.. Then you died.. You died Rosalee, I don't..." Nick's babbling, eyes tearing up as he pulls the woman into another hug.

 

"I didn't die, Nick.. I wasn't there.." She tells him.

 

"Nick, was Monroe there?" JJ asks standing a little ways away.

 

Nick observes her with a little fear and anxiety, but nods carefully.

 

"He died too... There was so much blood.." He looks down at his hands.

 

"Nick, we're not dead... Look at me.. We're real.." Monroe assures, rubbing his thumb over his cheek.

 

"I.. What if you're not?" Nick mumbles, and Monroe sucks in a sharp breath.

 

"You're here with us now, Nicky... You're just going to have to trust that..." The older says softly, before reaching up and grabbing at the chain hidden beneath his sweater and plaid shirt.

 

"I bet you've been missing this.." He tugs the golden band off of the necklace, grabbing Nick's hand and placing it on his finger. Nick nods, pulling his hand back to observe the band carefully.

 

"You never put it back on after your shower.. Left it on the sink, like usual.. I made a promise to myself that I'd give it back to you.." Monroe whispers, pulling Nick in for a soft kiss.

 

"I hope I never wake up from this dream." Nick murmurs when they break apart, crystal blue eyes looking tragically broken, but a glimmer of happiness in them.

 


End file.
